Brown Delivers On Potential

Eric Bossi

01/06/2010

The pressure of making a college decision long behind him, Anthony Brown is having a nice senior season. The Bootleg caught up with the future Stanford hoopster.

Back in the early days of his career at Huntington Beach (Calif.) Ocean View, it was pretty clear that Anthony Brown had talent. Skinny and skilled those who watched him felt he had a bright future. Now a near 6-foot-7 senior, Brown has not only started to fill into his frame while becoming even more skilled and assertive, his college future is set after signing with Stanford in November.

Looking back, Brown wouldn't change anything about his choice to play hoops and go to school in Palo Alto.

"It's a really good feeling, you know all that work you put into the weight room and going to all of the camps and trying your hardest meant something," said Brown. "It's good to know that now I'm just playing for that state championship and not for the coaches or anything like that. It's pressure free, I don't have to worry about anything anymore."

One of the most versatile players in the country, it's not easy to describe Brown's game. He'll post up in some situations, run the point in others all while playing everywhere in between. He rebounds, passes, handles and plays unselfishly.

In college, though, Brown knows that he'll have to look to score more and he's been doing that as a senior.

"When I was growing up and my dad was coaching me he put the ball in my hands," said Brown. "I wasn't really tall, but I had a growth spurt and from that I really like to play the one or the two. I like to bring the ball up the court and make everybody better."

"But, at Stanford they are looking for me to be more of a scorer so that's what I'll be looking to do."

"I'm very excited, I've actually talked to Aaron, I've talked to Huestis and I've talked to Powell," Brown told The Bootleg. "I haven't talked to Gage, but to be able to get players like that from all over the country is big for us."

Even though the 2009-10 version of the Cardinal has had their share of ups and downs, Brown can see coach Johnny Dawkins and his staff putting their stamp on the program.

"He's proving that he can coach," said Brown of his future head coach. "He's doing it without all the players to fit his system yet. I think when we get there we can make some noise."

Of course, Brown also knows that he's got plenty to improve upon before next season starts and he's got to continue to get stronger. But, in the end that's part of what continues to make him one of the best prospects in the country and guy that people have high expectations for.

"I think I can get a lot better," said Brown of where he'll be in the future. "I still make a lot of mistakes and have turnovers. Sometimes I'm too selfish and me being a year young for a senior I feel like I have a lot of growing to do."